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In The Fundamentals of Ethics, Third Edition, author Russ Shafer-Landau employs a uniquely engaging writing style to introduce students to the essential ideas of moral philosophy. Offering more comprehensive coverage of the good life, normative ethics, and metaethics than any other text of its kind, this book also addresses issues that are often omitted from other texts, such as the doctrine of doing and allowing, the doctrine of double effect, ethical particularism, the desire-satisfaction theory of well-being, and moral error theory. Shafer-Landau carefully reconstructs and analyzes dozens of arguments in depth, at a level that is understandable to students with no prior philosophical background. The text is supplemented by an online Instructor's Manual and Computerized Test Bank and a Companion Website with student self-quizzes and additional resources.

Ideal for courses in introductory ethics and contemporary moral problems, this book can be used as a stand-alone text or with the author's companion reader, The Ethical Life: Fundamental Readings in Ethics and Moral Problems, Third Edition.

Russ Shafer-Landau is Chair and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author, editor, or coeditor of several books including The Ethical Life, Third Edition (OUP, 2014), Reason and Responsibility, Fifteenth Edition (2013), and Ethical Theory: An Anthology, Second Edition (2012). He is also the editor of Oxford Studies in Metaethics.

*=New to this Edition PrefaceNew to the Third EditionInstructor's Manual and Companion WebsiteA Note on the Companion VolumeAcknowledgmentsINTRODUCTION The Lay of the LandSkepticism about EthicsEthical Starting Points* What Is Morality?Moral ReasoningThe Role of Moral TheoryLooking AheadPART ONE. THE GOOD LIFE 1. Hedonism: Its Powerful Appeal Happiness and Intrinsic ValueThe Attractions of HedonismThere Are Many Models of a Good LifePersonal Authority and Well-BeingMisery Clearly Hampers a Good Life; Happiness Clearly Improves ItThe Limits of ExplanationRules of the Good Life--and Their ExceptionsHappiness Is What We Want for Our Loved Ones2. Is Happiness All That Matters? The Paradox of HedonismEvil PleasuresThe Two WorldsFalse HappinessThe Importance of AutonomyLife's TrajectoryUnhappiness as a Symptom of HarmConclusion3. Getting What You Want A Variety of Good LivesPersonal AuthorityAvoiding Objective ValuesMotivationJustifying the Pursuit of Self-InterestKnowledge of the Good4. Problems for the Desire Theory Getting What You Want May Not Be Necessary for Promoting Your GoodGetting What You Want May Not Be Sufficient for Promoting Your GoodDesires Based on False BeliefsDisinterested and Other-Regarding DesiresDisappointmentIgnorance of Desire SatisfactionImpoverished DesiresThe Paradox of Self-Harm and Self-SacrificeThe Fallibility of Our Deepest DesiresConclusionPART TWO.NORMATIVE ETHICS: DOING THE RIGHT THING 5. Morality and Religion Three Assumptions about Morality and ReligionFirst Assumption: Religious Belief Is Needed for Moral MotivationSecond Assumption: God Is the Creator of MoralityThird Assumption: Religion Is an Essential Source of Moral GuidanceConclusion6. Natural Law The Theory and Its AttractionsThree Conceptions of Human Nature* Human Nature as Animal NatureHuman Nature Is What Is Innately HumanHuman Nature Is What All Humans Have in CommonNatural PurposesThe Argument from HumanityConclusion7. Psychological Egoism Egoism and AltruismDoes It Matter whether Psychological Egoism Is True?The Argument from Our Strongest DesiresThe Argument from Expected BenefitThe Argument from Avoiding MiseryTwo Egoistic StrategiesAppealing to the Guilty ConscienceExpanding the Realm of Self-InterestLetting the Evidence DecideConclusion8. Ethical Egoism Why Be Moral?Two Popular Arguments for Ethical EgoismThe Self-Reliance ArgumentThe Libertarian ArgumentThe Best Argument for Ethical EgoismThree Problems for Ethical EgoismEgoism Violates Core Moral BeliefsEgoism Cannot Allow for the Existence of Moral RightsEgoism Arbitrarily Makes My Interests All-ImportantConclusion9. Consequentialism: Its Nature and Attractions The Nature of ConsequentialismIts StructureMaximizing GoodnessMoral KnowledgeActual versus Expected ResultsAssessing Actions and IntentionsThe Attractions of UtilitarianismImpartialityThe Ability to Justify Conventional Moral WisdomConflict ResolutionMoral FlexibilityThe Scope of the Moral Community* Slippery Slope Arguments10. Consequentialism: Its Difficulties Measuring Well-BeingUtilitarianism Is Very DemandingDeliberationMotivationActionImpartialityNo Intrinsic Wrongness (or Rightness)The Problem of InjusticePotential Solutions to the Problem of InjusticeJustice Is Also Intrinsically ValuableInjustice Is Never OptimificJustice Must Sometimes Be SacrificedRule ConsequentialismConclusion11. The Kantian Perspective: Fairness and Justice Consistency and FairnessThe Principle of UniversalizabilityMorality and RationalityAssessing the Principle of UniversalizabilityIntegrityKant on Absolute Moral Duties12. The Kantian Perspective: Autonomy and Respect The Principle of HumanityThe Importance of Rationality and AutonomyThe Good Will and Moral WorthFive Problems with the Principle of HumanityVaguenessDetermining Just DesertsAre We Autonomous?Moral LuckThe Scope of the Moral CommunityConclusion13. The Social Contract Tradition: The Theory and Its Attractions The Lure of ProceduralismThe Background of the Social Contract TheoryThe Prisoner's DilemmaCooperation and the State of NatureThe Advantages of ContractarianismMorality Is Essentially a Social PhenomenonContractarianism Explains and Justifies the Content of the Basic Moral RulesContractarianism Offers a Method for Justifying Every Moral RuleContractarianism Explains the Objectivity of MoralityContractarianism Explains Why It Is Sometimes Acceptable to Break the Moral RulesMore Advantages: Morality and the LawContractarianism Justifies a Basic Moral Duty to Obey the LawThe Contractarian Justification of Legal PunishmentContractarianism Justifies the State's Role in Criminal LawContractarianism and Civil Disobedience14. The Social Contract Tradition: Problems and Prospects Why Be Moral?The Role of ConsentDisagreement among the ContractorsThe Scope of the Moral CommunityConclusion15. Ethical Pluralism and Absolute Moral Rules The Structure of Moral TheoriesIs Torture Always Immoral?Preventing CatastrophesThe Doctrine of Double EffectA Reply to the Argument from Disaster PreventionHow the DDE Threatens Act ConsequentialismDistinguishing Intention from ForesightMoral Conflict and ContradictionIs Moral Absolutism Irrational?The Doctrine of Doing and AllowingConclusion16. Ethical Pluralism: Prima Facie Duties and Ethical Particularism Ross's Ethic of Prima Facie DutiesThe Advantages of Ross's ViewPluralismWe Are Sometimes Permitted to Break the Moral RulesMoral ConflictMoral RegretAddressing the Antiabsolutist ArgumentsA Problem for Ross's ViewKnowing the Fundamental Moral RulesSelf-Evidence and the Testing of Moral TheoriesKnowing the Right Thing to DoEthical ParticularismThree Problems for Ethical ParticularismIts Lack of UnityAccounting for Moral KnowledgeSome Things Possess Permanent Moral ImportanceConclusion17. Virtue Ethics The Standard of Right ActionMoral ComplexityMoral UnderstandingMoral EducationThe Nature of VirtueVirtue and the Good LifeObjectionsTragic DilemmasDoes Virtue Ethics Offer Adequate Moral Guidance?Is Virtue Ethics Too Demanding?Who Are the Moral Role Models?Conflict and ContradictionThe Priority ProblemConclusion18. Feminist Ethics The Elements of Feminist EthicsMoral DevelopmentWomen's ExperienceThe Ethics of CareThe Importance of EmotionsAgainst UnificationAgainst Impartiality and AbstractionAgainst CompetitionDownplaying RightsChallenges for Feminist EthicsConclusionPART THREE. METAETHICS: THE STATUS OF MORALITY 19. Ethical Relativism Moral SkepticismTwo Kinds of Ethical RelativismSome Implications of Ethical Subjectivism and Cultural RelativismMoral InfallibilityMoral EquivalenceQuestioning Our Own CommitmentsMoral ProgressEthical Subjectivism and the Problem of ContradictionCultural Relativism and the Problem of ContradictionIdeal ObserversConclusion20. Moral Nihilism Error TheoryExpressivismHow Is It Possible to Argue Logically about Morality?Expressivism and AmoralistsThe Nature of Moral JudgmentConclusion21. Eleven Arguments against Moral Objectivity 1. Objectivity Requires Absolutism2. All Truth Is Subjective3. Equal Rights Imply Equal Plausibility4. Moral Objectivity Supports Dogmatism5. Moral Objectivity Supports Intolerance* 6. Moral Objectivity Cannot Allow for Legitimate Cultural Variation7. Moral Disagreement Undermines Moral Objectivity8. Atheism Undermines Moral Objectivity9. The Absence of Categorical Reasons Undermines Moral Objectivity10. Moral Motivation Undermines Moral Objectivity11. Values Have No Place in a Scientific WorldConclusionReferencesSuggestions for Further ReadingGlossaryIndex